Quickly removable filter casing cover



Sept. 18, 1951 `R. M. ZIMMERMAN ET AL QUICKLY REMOVABLE FILTER CASING COVER Filed Nov. 28, 1947 Amine@ Patented Sept. 18, 1951 QUICKLY REMOVABLE FILTER CASING COVER Robert M. Zimmerman, Providence, and Walter V. Kennedy, Central Falls.- R. I., assignors to Fram I Corporation, a corporation of Rhode Island Application November 28, 1947, Serial No. 788,360

This invention relates .to a filter of a type usually used in connection with automotive engines although the same may have various other uses.

In the previousconstruction of a/filter, there is usually` provided a casing having a center tube through which the filtrate is discharged with an inlet opening into the `casing for the oil or liquid to be ltered. About the center tube a cartridge having acenter openingl is removably positioned and a cover is provided which has a bolt or, the

like entering the upper threaded end of the center tube to hold it in place.l By this arrangement, in lorder to change the cartridge it is necessary to loosen the bolt with a wrench' to withdraw the cartridge from the center tube andto drain the casing from deposited contaminant prior to the inserting of a fresh cartridge in position.

It is found in the operation of a filter of this construction that it is necessary to reinforce the bottom wall or make the same of a very heavy gauge material in order to withstand the strains which are placed upon the center tube by some attendants in excessively tightening the nut to hold the cover in place It is also found necessary to very accurately finish the upper edge of the casing and provide a washer along this edge 1 Claim. (Cl. 21o-164) in order' to maintain a tight seal between the A a construction of filter which will make unneces- K sary the provision of a center tube for securing the cover in place, thus making it unnecessary to reinforce or strengthen the bottom .of the casing against strains which are placed upon the bottom of the casing through the center tube in usin'g the center tube for securing the cover in place. Another object of the invention is to provide a cover arrangement which will make unnecessary the accurate i'lnishing of the upper edge of the casing for engagement by a soft washer or sea.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate the use of any threads which may be stripped by careless handling or excessive force being applied to the parts which carry the threads.

Another object of the invention is to provide a soft sealing ring which may be utilized many times in the taking off or putting on the cover without the necessity of putting in a new washer such as previously was frequently desirable When the cover was removed and replaced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sumcient space within the filter casing so that the same may be wiped out with a piece of waste or rag by hand eliminating the necessity of providing a drain opening through the bottom wall of the casing.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

` In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1` is a perspective view' of the filter which is the subject of this invention;

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the cover and the body ofthe casing in separated relation;

Fig. 3 is a central sectional view through the filter shown in Fig. l; f

Fig. 4 is a sectionallview showing the casing alone with the cartridge removed;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentalview showing a locking arrangement for the cover of the casing.

In proceeding with' this invention, we provide a casingl having a bottom wall and a cylindrical side wall with an open end in which a cartridge may be positioned andl we provide a cover for the open end with a flange which telescopes the casing', there being formed projections on the telescoping portion of the casing and flange which are spaced circularly so that in one position the prejections on the flange may pass by the projections on the side wall and then by rotation in an angular relation a part of a revolution the projections are brought one beneath the other so as to lock the cover in place. Some slight helical relation may be provided so that as the turning occurs the cover is drawn inwardly toward the open end of the body. By knurling the outer surface of the cover, the same may be firmly gripped to be turned .by hand so that no wrench is needed. 4 With reference to the drawings., the casing comprises a body designated generally I0 and shown by itself in Fig. 4. l`This casing has a bottom wall II of a generally bulbous shape something along the lines of the shape of a portion of a sphere while there are cylindrical side walls I2 extending upwardly from this bottom wall. A spud I3 is secured in a hole through the bottom Wall and therein is formed an outlet bore I 4 having an enlarged threaded portion I5 to which a conduit is attached. This spud is secured in the bottom wall by welding or in any suitable manner to -provide a liquid tight connection. This spud is also shouldered as at I6 by the formation of a acca-rs1 reduced portion so that a soft gasket or washer I1 may be provided and held .on the shoulder. An inlet opening is provided in the side wall I2 by means of the boss I8 having a threaded opening I9 to which a conduit may be attached. The

upper edge or end of the cylindrical wall 20 is rolled inwardly slightly and projections 2I are formed by deflecting the stock of the side wall I2 outwardly so as to provide recesses 22 on the inner surface as the projections 2I are formed on the outer surface. These projections are illustrated as four in number and are spaced circularly about the upper edge of the side wall I2 a distance a little greater than the extent of the projections themselves.`

A filtering medium in the form of a cartridge 25 is provided and while this may consist of various different forms, the particular form chosen for illustration comprises a cylindrical permeable shell 26 which is provided with a fibrous material 21 such as cotton waste. The end walls of the shell are illustrated at 28 and 29 and are imperforate. A center opening is provided by means of a perforated tube so that the iquid to be filtered will pass into the element through the wall 26 through the waste and out through the perforations in the wall 30. This shell so formed sets upon the soft washer I1 so as to provide a seal for this end of the cartridge about the center opening while the other end of the center opening is sealed by means carried by thecover.

The cover is designated generally 32 and comprises a top wall 33 and a flange designated generally 34. This flange is deflected inwardly as at 35 so as to provide a circular rib projecting inwardly of the flange and spaced from the fiattened portion of the cover 36 which extends around the margin of the domed portion thereof. Between this rib 35 and the portion 36 of the cover an elastic O-ring 31 is provided which is of neoprene\or some synthetic rubber-like material which wii not be attack d by the oil or other liquid which lo be filter/d. This ring is of circular cross sec ion and'its diameter is less than the distance between the inner surface of the rib 35 and the inner surface of the portion 36 of the cover so that this ring may roll axially between the rib 35 and the portion 36 which act as a limiting stop means.

The flange 34 is also provided with inwardly extending projections 38, which are of an extent similar to the extent of the projections 2| and are of such length that they will pass through the spaces between the projections 2I on the body. They are similar to the projections 2I in number and may also be inclined on the upper edges 39 so that when the cover is placed on the body withv the projections 38 passing through the spaces between the projections 2| and the cover is rotated clockwise looking at the upper end thereof, then the cover will be drawn downwardly on the casing, at which time the O-ring packing will roll along the outer surface of the casing above the projections 2l. These projections extend upwardly at one end 39' to provide a stop so that when this stop engages the end of projection 2| there will be a limit to the rotation of the cover on the casing.

Centrally located within the cover 32 there is provided a spring 40 which is secured to a washer 4I which in turn is spot welded to the inner surface of the cover. At the other'end of the spring a cup 42 is provided which is secured to the spring by reason of the spring passing snugly about it beneath a flanged end while there is a washer 43 encircling the cup beneath which there is a soft packing or gasket 44 which is of some rubber-like or soft material similar to I1. This cup fits within the center opening in the cartridge and the washer and soft packing engage the edge of the tube 30 and the pressure of the spring exerts sufiicient force so that a tight seal is formed. However. in some cases a bleed hole 45 may be provided in the bottom of the cup for the bypassing of oil therethrough, for instance, where it is desired that some heating of the casing take place as the use is commenced.

In use oil will enter at the boss I8 and fill the casing. 'Ihe oil being undery pressure will exert some pressure on the O-ring driving it down against the circular rib 35 and then expanding it into sealing relation and as the oil is under pressure some oil may pass through the bleed hole 45 to establish a circulation so that warming of the casing may take place. The oil will as it becomes sufliciently warm, pass through the filter cartridge 25 and will pass from the casing through the conduit I4 and threaded connection I'5. Y

If it is desired to remove the cartridge and replace it with a fresh one, it is merely necessary to grasp the knurled portion of the cover designated 46 in the hand and turn the same a fraction of a revolution, which may be substantially 35 or 40 degrees so as to bring. the projections 38 in the space between the projections 2I then the cover may be lifted from position, the cartridge lifted by handle 41, inspected, and if found sufficiently contaminated will be removed from the casing and a fresh one placed therein and in either case, whether the old cartridge is returned or a fresh cartridge is placed in position it is merely necessary to cause the flange 34 of the cover to telescope the upper` edge of the side Wall I2 of the casing and then turn the cover to bring the projections 38 beneath the projections 2| for securing the cover in place.

The cover is of a size so that the cartridge may be placed within its flange after the cartridge is drawn from the casing so that the attendant at an oil station may show to the driver the condition of the cartridge that he may be the judge as to whether or not it needs to be replaced. The cover, being all one piece with a, deep fiange, no oil will drop as this operation is performed. The removal for inspection may be made within one mlnutes time, whereas removing a bolt by a wrench and replacing the nut would consume many times as long and the same presentation to the driver in the cover which has a bolt passing through it and from which oil would drop, could not be made.

In some cases where a locking of the cover against rotation relative to the casing is desired. we recess the cover flange 34 as at 5U (see Fig. 5) and weld a resilient arm l5I to the side wall I2 of the casing which has a portion to enter this recess to prevent rotation of the cover. If this arm is sprung outwardly about its reduced portion 52, the cover is released so that it may be turned to remove it from the case I0.

We claim: l

In a filter, a casing comprising a body having a bottom wall and a cylindrical side wall with an open end, an inlet opening into said casing and an outlet opening therefrom, a filtering medium between said inlet and outlet opening for the passage of the liquid to be filtered therethrough, said filtering medium being in the form of a cartridge which is removable from the casing through its upper end, and a. removable cover having a ange to telescope over the open end o1' said side wall, circularly spaced inward projections carried by said flange and circularly spaced outward projections on the side wall also spaced downwardly from the edge ot the side wall and at the location embraced by the ange to removably lock the cover on the casing by rotation through a fraction of a revolution of the cover relative to the casing to bring the projections of the cover on the opposite side of the projections on the side wall from the edge of the side wall,

and an -ring seal positioned between said flange and side wall in the area, between the edge of the side wall and the projections therefrom and means spaced axially of the O-ring to permit of its axially rolling but limited in the extent of such rolling movement.

ROBERT M. ZIMMERMAN. WALTER V. KENNEDY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille o! this patent:

.y 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number 514,540 696,574

Name Date Sellers May 22, 1860 Livingston Aug. 24, 1897 Honiss May 15, 1900 Wilson May 6, 1902 Ingersoll Mar. 17, 1931 Reid Dec. 29, 1931 Manning Aug. 30, 1938 Vokes Jan. 31, 1939 Williams.- Feb. 16, 1943 Russell July 25, 1944 Pond et ai Nov. 27, 1945 Holt et al May 13, 1947 Walton et al. Dec. 2, 1947 'Bosworth May 11, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Apr. 2, 1924 France Oct. 14, 1930 

